On the Times Commonly Presented for Birkat HaL’vana, Part 3 Advertisements
Q&A: The Temple Mount
Question: Should I ascend the Temple Mount? Answer: One should look forward to fulfilling any of the commandments. You should know that there are many obligatory commandments that you can only perform if you were to ascend the mount. It is also the ideal place to pray. Therefore, all agree that you should strive to … Continue reading
Removing Common Misconceptions About Early Sabbath
Contrary to what is written in a number of places, the Vilna Gaon was not opposed to individuals accepting Sabbath early, or congregations holding early services, etc, and there is just too much Talmudic proof as to the legitimacy of accepting the Sabbath early. Many like to point to Ma’aseh Rav 115, which reports that … Continue reading
Letter to a Friend: On Parashath Sh’lah
Dear ****, As you know, I have been presenting my Haggadat Hapesah to senior scholars in an effort to secure their approval. Recently, one scholar was very encouraging, but he declined to comment on it, telling me how he was “comfortable with his Judaism.” Why, he asked, did I want to change the haggada we … Continue reading
Letter a Friend: We Need to Know When Rosh Hodesh Is, Not When The Molad Is
Dear ****, I am surprised and alarmed to find out that your synagogue has recently begun publicizing the average molad time in the weekly z’manim, which include the daily and sabbath prayer times, distributed to the wider community. If anything, the synagogue should publicize what day or days of the coming week are Rosh Hodesh, … Continue reading
A Request of Our Readership
As we get ready to present more material to the public, please take some time to fill out this questionnaire (new link): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFbekWb2jxPmIvMXhM3q0PpfVtLiuknI5GxEEyLfE4-f0_RQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
An Offering of Oneself on Rosh Hashana, Part 4
(Part 3 here.) Leviticus 23:24-25: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a day of rest, zichron t’ru’a (lit. “a memorial of sounding”), a holy convocation. You shall do no manner of laborious work, and you shall bring a fire offering … Continue reading
In Defense of A Practice: Plag Haminha and Sabbath Eve
Dear ****, As you know, most of the synagogues in our town that host early-Sabbath services do not insist on holding the Friday afternoon service before plag haminha, even though they will also be holding the Sabbath evening services before sundown. In my experience, this was also the case back in Queens, where I grew … Continue reading
Parasha Notes: B’huqqothai 5779: The Shofar of the Jubilee
Leviticus 25:9-10: Then you shall make a proclamation with the blast of the horn on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement shall you make a proclamation with a horn throughout all your land. You shall sanctify the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty for all the land and for all of … Continue reading
Q&A: Passover, Independence Day, and Jerusalem Day 5779
Question: How do we know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had thousands of followers if they are not mentioned in the Bible? Why did they not go down to Egypt? And why do we not know anything about them, like their names? Answer: They are mentioned explicitly, like when Abraham mustered a snap army of … Continue reading
